George Russell has followed Lewis Hamilton's lead and slated the performance of Mercedes' car - despite a recent warning that he could be sacked for doing so. Russell, 26, and Hamilton, 39, have both struggled to keep pace with Max Verstappen and Lando Norris at the top of the F1 standings. Hamilton has been particularly critical of his motor, recently blasting it by comparing it to a "plank of wood".

However, Russell has followed suit, claiming the car is as unpredictable as it has ever been since his arrival in 2022. Former F1 boss Guenther Steiner recently issued a warning to Russell, claiming Hamilton's upcoming move to Ferrari gives him the luxury of being so vocally critical without suffering any repercussions. Meanwhile, he believes Russell's position is not so secure and advised the King's Lyn native to not publicly lambast his team.

Despite those recent warnings, Russell had plenty to get off his chest. Russell said: “I think in 2022, in the sort of porpoising era, without doubt that was far more unpleasant. But because of the nature of those cars, it was far harder to get close to the limit because you were literally jumping around every single corner, and you knew that it was going to bite you.

” He added: "The problem we've got with this car at the moment is you think it's not going to bite you, and you can achieve a really great lap. Then, suddenly nothing changes, or you feel nothing changes, and the following lap you lose all of that performance. "Without a .